15 alleged militants held in Swabi

SWABI: The district police and Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) arrested 15 alleged militants in a joint operation in Razaar tehsil, an official said on Friday.

District Police Officer Haroon Rashid Khan said that the raids targeted terrorist hideouts and utilised drones for the first time to provide real-time intelligence.The search operation was conducted under the supervision of DSP Razaar Shakeel Khan and DSP CTD Khalid Iqbal Khan, along with SHOs and other cops.

In total, 24 suspects were arrested, and 15 of them will undergo thorough investigation by law enforcement agencies.

“The operation, conducted on the directives of IGP Akhtar Hayat Khan and RPO Najibur Rahman to maintain order, targeted antisocial elements in the mountainous terrain of Razar tehsil, where 20 motorcycles without number plates were also seized, besides the arrests,” said Haroon Rasheed.

Meanwhile, a senior journalist in the district received threats, warning him to avoid reporting only the police version of incidents. The threats have forced journalists to adopt precautionary measures while continuing their professional duties.